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Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Special Forces Fitness Training: Book Review

Nowadays there is no shortage of variety in fitness. Back in the 80s it was aerobics. Leotards. Leg warmers. Sweatbands.

Thankfully, we now have many more options and better fashion sense.

I am amazed by how much my own fitness routine has changed. Back when I first joined a gym...which would have been in 9th grade in 1989, all I did was aerobics classes. It wasn't even until a few years later that step aerobics was introduced.

Now, not only do I prefer strength training, HIIT, and Muai Thai, but I also prefer to workout at home. No wasted time getting there and back, no worries about having to look presentable, no need to wait for equipment. Win win win.

If you have similar preferences to me, than you may really like Special Forces Fitness Training by Augusta Dejuan Hathaway. It certainly may appeal to guys looking for a 'manly' workout, but I dismiss that characterization as silly. This is just as much for women as men. Fortunately, the workouts are geared towards everybody.

Hathaway starts by giving some background on the Special Forces and why they are required to be so fit for their jobs. He explains what you need for these workouts and gives various options, from basic weight equipment to stuff you probably have lying around your house. In the second part of the book he describes how to use the book and provides a vast array of training programs that are each adapted to beginner, intermediate and advanced levels.

In the third section of the book, there are photos and descriptions of each exercise...and there are a whole lot of exercises! They are organized into sections: warm-up, balance and stability, core, push-up, strength, partner, agility, speed and plyometrics, martial arts cardio, and flexibility.

The only concern I have is that there are so many exercises that a real newbie may feel overwhelmed and will likely have real difficulty remembering them when trying to follow one of the set programs. Also, if like me you need to see movement to get it (I can't really 'get' it from reading a description), than you may have trouble learning to execute the exercises properly. But that's the drawback of learning physical skills from a book. If you don't have that problem, and you like the idea of training like the Special Forces, than you might want to check out this book. The workouts require almost no equipment and little space. Just don't attempt these workouts wearing army boots like the guy in the book!

Disclaimer: I was sent a review copy of this book by the publisher, but all opinions on this blog are my own.